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Baku Court of Grave Crimes brought in a verdict against the Azerbaijani human rights defenders Leyla and Arif Yunus. Leyla Yunus was sentenced to 8.5 years’ imprisonment and Arif Yunus to 7 years, according to the information agency Trend.

The information agency Turan reports that Arif Yunus was found guilty under article 178.3.2 (swindle with causing damage in the large size) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Leyla Yunus was found guilty under articles 178.3.2 (swindle with causing damage in the large size), 192.2.2 (illegal business), 213.2.2 (tax evasion), 320.1 and 320.2 (document forgery) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

The charge under article 274 (high treason) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan will be considered in separate proceedings.
Earlier, Turan reported that the lawyers had made their final remarks followed by Leyla and Arif Yunus. As in the earlier trials, fake attendants, court and penitentiary service staff filled out the courtroom. Only three foreign diplomats and one or two independent journalists were able to be present at the trial.

The lawyers, Ramiz Mammadov, Afghan Mammadov and Elchin Gambarov, were very convincing and logical while denying the charges. “There are no proofs, victims or people who suffered. That is to say, the charges not only lack corpus delicti, but also the object of crime,” Ramiz Mammadov stressed. Taking into consideration all the facts, he urged the judge to find Leyla Yunus innocent.

The second lawyer, Elchin Gambarov, said that the real reason for Leyla Yunus and her husband’s arrest is their sociopolitical activity and the protection of the rights of the prisoners of conscience and political prisoners. According to him, the Azerbaijani authorities fear an Orange Revolution believing that they are carried out everywhere by non-governmental organizations funded by Western donors. "How can human rights protection be considered anti-state activity?" the lawyer wondered.

Before the verdict was announced, the lawyer called the prosecutor’s proposal to condemn Leyla and Arif Yunus to 11 and 9 years’ imprisonment a "life sentence." "For these sick and elderly people it will clearly mean death, and if it happens, the responsibility will fall on those sitting in this room," the lawyer said.

After a short break, the judge granted the defendant a final word. Leyla Yunus noted that the Azerbaijani authorities had dismissed four of her lawyers over the past year and a half. This was done as the lawyers informed the press about the rights abuses, violence and lawlessness committed by Major Yakubov and others in the jail. "In Azerbaijan, there is a 19th century atmosphere and a situation like that created by the red fascism in the 1930s of the 20th century, when public prosecutors were so foolish and stupid that concealed the charges how they could," Leyla Yunus said.

Her husband Arif Yunus in his final word expressed his gratitude to his wife. "I am happy that I have such a companion of life. And if I had to live my life again and go through all these tortures, I would again choose Leyla to be my life companion," Arif Yunus said noting that he was barely able to stand on his feet. "You see this, but you continue. These are your European standards," the human rights activist said and immediately lost consciousness.

In 2014, Francois Hollande, the French President, met Leyla Yunus in Baku and awarded her with the Order of the Legion of Honor. Later, on 30 July, Yunus was arrested in the yard of her house. She was charged with high treason, tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, forgery and large-scale fraud. In January, media reported that the German doctor Christian Vitt confirmed that the arrested human rights defender suffered from a serious disease. However, in February 2015, Azerbaijani Nasimi District Court extended Leyla Yunus’ pretrial detention for five months. He husband, Arif Yunusov, also faces charges of high treason and large-scale fraud.

On 6 August 2015, during Leyla and Arif Yunus trial in Baku Court of Grave Crimes, prosecutor Farid Nagiyev called on the court to sentence Leyla Yunus to 11 years’ imprisonment and her husband 9 years finding guilty of swindle, tax evasion and abuses.

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